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Eternal Crusade is set in the dystopian science-fantasy universe of Warhammer 40,000, set in the 41st millennium (40,001 - 41,000 AD). 38,000 years in the future, mankind has settled more than a million worlds across the galaxy. Most are united in the Imperium of Man, a brutal theocratic regime united in its worship of the Emperor of Mankind. Despite its size and power, the Imperium teeters on the brink of collapse due a combination of escalating war, corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, and technological stagnation. The Imperium fights unceasing war against a number of hostile alien races, including: the Orks, the Tyranids, the Eldar, the Dark Eldar, the Necrons, and the Tau. Other than aliens, the setting also features the supernatural forces of Chaos, which include daemons and mortal worshippers of the evil Chaos Gods. The Chaos Gods dwell in the Warp, a parallel dimension of psychic energy from which psykers draw their power and through which human starships traverse the galaxy. Chaos is central to the setting, the fundamental cause of much of the strife in the galaxy. Chaos was responsible for the downfall of the once glorious and enlightened civilizations of old, and Chaos sabotaged the Emperor of Mankind's attempt to lead humanity back into the light. Chaos corrupts the body and soul in ways both subtle and overt - from unconscious subversion to physical mutation. Chaos decimated the Eldar race eons ago, leaving the tiny fraction of scattered nomadic survivors which remain to the present day. Chaos is what forces the Dark Eldar to be depraved. Chaos regularly sends armies of daemons and damned heretics to terrorize and massacre the denizens of realspace. Chaos exists only to persist and spread, the Dark Gods delighting only in the destruction and disorder they sow. The Imperium also must contend with heresy and rebellion among its own populace. Across the many worlds of man, people seek release from their miserable existence by rebelling against authority and seeking liberty from their subjugation - or worse, the dark succor of the Chaos Gods. The Imperial government, ever callous, unenlightened and inefficient, can only respond to such sedition with even greater brutality and oppression. Those humans blessed (or, more appropriately, cursed) with psychic powers are either burnt at the stake in state-sanctioned witch-hunts or enslaved by the Imperium, for the daemons of Chaos will corrupt these poor souls and use them to wreak havoc on the living if they are left to their devices. Setting of Eternal Crusade The events of the Eternal Crusade take place in the Kharon system, which is located in the galactic northern marches of Segmentum Obscuras, in the dead centre of a void of systems – right on the edge of Imperial space. It is a binary star system, consisting of two suns locked in orbit. The primary star is Kharon Primus, and its smaller, orbiting companion is Kharon Secondus. The fifth planet in the system, Arkhona, is a former Imperial world dating back tens of thousands of years. Although mankind at one time stretched across all its continents, when representatives from the Ordo Xenos arrived recently they found that the entire population had been destroyed. Shortly afterwards, the Inquisitors themselves were lost under terrible circumstances, thus setting events in motion. The Imperial Date of these events is currently unknown. As development progresses, short stories will be released explaining some of the reasons why each faction is present in this world, and what they seek to gain. Faction Motivations *'Space Marines': Eternal Crusade WebsiteAnswering a psychic distress call from across the galaxy, the Space Marines come now to the former Imperial world of Arkhona to purge it of treacherous xenos and the taint of heresy. **'Ultramarines': Still unknown. **'Blood Angels': Still unknown. **'Space Wolves': For revenge against the Ork Warboss who slaughtered their brothers. **'Dark Angels': Dark Angels have received intelligence that a high value traitor marine may be in situ on Arkhona itself. No further information has escaped the exceptionally secretive chapter, but whoever the target may be, he’s clearly worth diverting a large amount of the Chapter’s resources. **'Imperial Fists: '''The Banana Train has no breaks. *'Chaos Space Marines': Eternal Crusade WebsiteThe call from Arkhona was heard not only by the Imperium, but echoed through the halls of the daemons and sorcerers in the Warp. Even the fallen primarchs were roused from their bitter reveries, and they will not see Arkhona lost to them a second time. **'Black Legion': Still unknown. **'Iron Warriors': Still unknown. **'Word Bearers': Still unknown. **'Night Lords': Still unknown. **'Alpha Legion:' Its the Alpha Legion, no one is gonna know. *'Orks': United under a visionary new Warlord, this Ork WAAAGH! has been on a sector-spanning crusade that has already seen hundreds of Imperial worlds fall. Driven by visions from their gods Gork and Mork, the Orks now have Arkhona targeted as the site for a truly apocalyptic WAAAGH! **'Evil Sunz': Still unknown. **'Bad Moons': Still unknown. **'Deathskulls': Still unknown. **'Goff': Still unknown. *'Eldar': The history of Eldar goes back to long before the dawn of man, and thus they have had a secret stake in the fate of Arkhona since pre-history. As the warp vomits forth its corrupt spawn, the Imperium musters its greatest warriors and the savage greenskins descend upon it, the Eldar know all others must be prevented from gaining control of this world. **'Ulthwé': Still unknown. **'Saim-Hann': Still unknown. **'Iyanden': Still unknown. **'Biel-Tan': Still unknown. *'Tyranids''': It is unclear at this time why the Tyranids are on Arkhona or how they got there. Regardless, they remain opposed to all other factions as they advance on their objective to devour all organic matter in the universe. In the wake of a devastating series of earthquakes, Tyranids have appeared literally out of nowhere, without a hive-fleet in sight and spread quickly, killing all they meet. Short Stories The following are official short stories detailing elements of the overall story of Eternal Crusade. *"Space Marines, Descent on Arkhona" *"Death and the Maiden World" *"Blood Price" *"X marks da Spot" *"Death Mark" *"Black Pearl" *"The Hound of the Warp" *"The Silent Death" *"Salvork" *"Eldar" *"Terra Nullius" *"Wolf Blood" *"Findaz, Keepaz" *"Unnatural Selection" *"Council of the Storm" de:Geschichte Category:Story